Saeoria
The Saeorans are the people of a nation based on the island of Saeoria, The Mercantile Royal Republic of Saeoria, located centrally in the Sea of Markaz, just off the western coast of Ukes. Seafarers that originate from the West coast of the main continent, they were driven from the continent as a consequence of conquest and ethnic cleansing. The remaining few thousand fled on the sea and settled on the island, where they mixed with the small native population. They largely live in coastal villages, with only a few larger towns, the only metropolis is New Iskandar, the capital. The other settlements include Stormwall, Tiefenhall, and Saeorana, the first settlement on the Island. Their culture is largely focused on trade since they don't have a large enough population for warfare. Due to their culture being a mix of mainlanders and natives, they speak a type of creole. They are a major neutral trading place for mainland countries, providing the possibility of trade for these nations even if they are at war. They have a historically hateful relationship with the inhabitants of the mainland West coast. History The Saeorians decend from a group of people from Iskandar, a city of the Markazi Empire. At the end of the Western Wars (548-382 BC), the city of Iskandar was sacked and largely slaughtered by the Kori Empire, however only days before the siege succeeded, a group of several thousand people managed to flee Iskandar, under the leadership of Saeor the Elder. They broke through the naval blockade using a local merchants fleet, suffering many losses until they finally reached the Island in 381 BC, which they named after their leader. They established a number of coastal cities, soon coming into contact with the local natives. These two groups slowly merged and mixed, until what is now known as the Saeorians came into being, a creole people speaking a language made of Iskandru, the language of Iskandar and the surrounding region, and the local native tongue. At around the year 0 they started a large scale naval build-up, starting their extensive naval tradition. They soon took control of most trade routes in the sea of Markaz, something that hasn`t changed to this day. In the year 852 CE, the ruling king Danell the Great initiated the Saeorian Reconquista, a series of wars against westcoast nations, that would take until 1023 CE. This established the Viceroyalty of Dannelia, named after Danell the Great. After a few centuries of instability, caused by ethnic and cultural tensions in the colony, the Viceroyalty became independent in 1769 CE. A peaceful secession was negotiated with the Danellian leaders, including reimbursement for Saeorian state assets left in Danellia. Saeoria and the new state of Danellia established diplomatic ties, which soon turned into The Markazi Alliance. From day one the Saeorians were lead by "The Supreme Mercantile Council" an oligarchic government representing most influential powers within Saeorian society, lead by the descendants of Saeor the Elder, the most senior of which occupying the position of king. The council controls Saeoran politics to this day. Even in the modern age, Saeoria is still the biggest trade market in the sea of Markaz, this trade encouraged by the total lack of regulation regarding trade goods, essentially making the trade of any type of resource legal and even actively encouraged, as long as one is willing to share the profits with the council. During the 9 Years' War they participated on the side of the Coaxis, supplying much of their naval power and naval siege support along the Markaz Sea. Category:Civilizations Category:Modern Category:Islands